If you’re a fan of queer icons and references, this festive reimagining is for you. ‘Homo Alone’ promised comedic originality and delivered on that promise in this musical parody.

In the first Act, we are introduced to a cast of characters that many of us know well - Kate and Peter McCalister, Buzz McCalister, and Kevin McCalister. In this interpretation of ‘Home Alone’, Kate McCalister (Allie Dart) embodies the beloved characteristics of one Mrs. Moira Rose, which is a hilarious through line as well as a nod to Schitt’s Creek fans in the audience. Allie Dart delivers impeccable timing and embodies all of the drama that Moira Rose would, if in fact, Catherine O’Hara played that character as Kate McCallister. Personally, I found Buzz (Steph Asamoah) to be the most hilarious of the bunch as soon as she stepped on stage, bringing the NSFW older brother's attitude to an iconic character. Jack North brings an incredibly gay flair to Mr. Peter McCallister, which made this reimagined story an absolute treat for what was evidently a very queer audience on press night. And of course, we have the beloved Kevin (Elliott Evans) who may just take after his father, after all. It is honestly quite difficult to pinpoint who the star of the show is in ‘Homo Alone’, as each of the four cast members brought such a unique approach to their roles.

Throughout the show, classic Christmas songs were rewritten into campier, queer and downright naughty versions that adapted to the story of ‘Homo Alone’. The lyrics were quick and witty, and brought so much laughter from myself and the rest of the audience, warranting giggling, cackling and clapping from the first song. My personal favorite was a reimagined version of ‘You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch’.

Lighting director, Chris McDonnell, utilizes original approaches to transform a smaller theatre space into something magical. Especially in the reimagining of the classic scenes in which Kevin McCalister is watching ‘Angels With Filthy Souls’ - which gives us the famous line, ‘Keep the change, you filthy animal.’

As we are introduced to Harry and Marv, our sticky bandits, we see Allie Dart and Jack North come back onstage, taking on a very different role than the ones they are displaying as Kate and Peter. I was really impressed by their ability to maintain straight faces through (most) of the hilarity of the back and forth between their costume changes. We also have a new character to the original storyline, Francois, played by Steph Asamoah. This is not the only new addition to the story, but you’ll have to make it out to The Other Palace to see what other surprises are in store for you in ‘Homo Alone’.

If you’re looking for a naughty twist on the American classic, ‘Homo Alone’ makes for a perfectly festive treat and will most definitely help you make the yuletide very gay this Christmas season.